Going in circles here

[Swan]

Hello to everyone. I've been reading into bikes for several months now and to be honest I feel like I'm going in circles. One site says one thing, the next provides exceptions, then I hear none of it's true, then I hear ALL of it's true, then I hear only some parts are true, and then I hear I've been looking in the wrong place the entire time and apparently I'm expected to know all these shorthand phrases and technical terms when I'm just starting out... To be honest I'm quite frustrated by the whole experience.

There are probably simple answers to my questions (see below), and while I don't feel as though I haven't looked hard enough, I'm beginning to wonder if it's true that I haven't looked in the right places -- and so I come to you!

So here are my questions:

1. What EXACTLY is a fitting (versus test drive) and can I skip it/do it myself in a shop?
The fitting itself (whatever it is) seems to be unanimously advised from all I've read, if I can find the right place to do it... but to me it seems like a general run of test-riding, minute tweaks that could be done by yourself, and repairs (?), and all of this done by someone there in the shop. But then I hear that plenty of fittings aren't very comprehensive at all and before you know it you've paid loads of money for something you could have done simply by straddling a few bikes in-store anyway. So while it is advised, what exactly is it, what are some tips to ensure that it's done properly, and can I do it myself to save some cost? The closest bike shop to me is an hour drive away and may not be all that quality anyway, so I'm reluctant to drive in and dive in head-first.

2. Is it the right bike -- or the right parts?
I'm 5'2.5 but 190lbs (yikes) and biking in a teensy coastal countryside village for long miles as a means of both transportation and exercise, and speed isn't an issue I'm concerned with. The terrain is varied and contains a fairly equal amount in any direction of steep hills, dirt roads (hard and soft), paved roads, rough/jagged gravel, loose/refined gravel, straight through forestry, beaches, wooden bridges, and some flat stretches of paved roads pocked with the occasional wide crevices.
I have a Granite Peak Roadmaster but riding is excruciating on both the bum and the hands, and I've often noticed the tires going a bit flat under my weight after two or three rides... Should I be looking for a new bike, or just "upgrate" parts like the saddle and tires and purchase some nice gloves?
There seems to be emphasis placed on specialised parts rather than the bikes themselves, but is there such a thing as a bike that has everything I need already installed? Or is it going to be an endeavour of purchasing pieces here and there and assembling them together to "build" my own bike?

Is there any advice you lot can give? I'm really sorry for the tl;dr and complete newbiness of this post, but my head has been all turned around and I'm almost entirely frustrated.

[pll]

Fitting the bike entails a number of changes on a bike that make sure you are in a comfortable position while you ride, and that the parts are commensurate with your size. This is different from just 'sizing' the bike, where you look at stand over height and eyeball the fit. Adjustments a fitter might make: seat height, perhaps swapping the stem to a shorter/longer size, making sure the width of the handlebars is appropriate for you (e.g., in a road bike, the bars are typically matched to your shoulder width -- however, I am perfectly comfortable with handlebars 4cm wider than my shoulders). Normally, your bike would be put on a trainer and you pedal a number of minutes to warm up and to see how you work on the bike. Some stores offer a basic fitting when you buy a bike. You can always pay for a fitting -- prices might range from, say $100 to $300, new parts are charged separately. [for example, when I was fitted, I spent about 3 hours with the fitter, who did an assessment of flexibility, range of motion of some joints, measured shoulder width, arm length, forearm length, inseam, etc... I pedaled for more than 20 min to warm up, the fitter put tape marks on my knees and filmed to see how may knees were tracking, we tried different pedals, tweaked saddle fore/aft, etc; I had been cycling for nearly 7 years when I did this]

Is it the right bike? Hard to know -- is it your size and does only need some minor adjustments? If it is the right size, you can always change the saddle for something that is a better fit (this forum has so many threads about saddles, including how to measure your sit bones, that your head will spin). You could also change the grips on the handlebar -- Ergon grips are very nice. The ones with bars give your options to make your hands comfortable during rides. Needless to say, adjusting the saddle height and making sure it is in the right position (saddles have rails and you can move it forward or backwards, make sure the saddle is level, etc... Two rules of thumb:

• Saddle height: at the bottom of the pedal stroke, your leg should be almost straight (ie, your knee should be short of "locking" in the stretched position)
• Saddle fore/aft adjustment: The rule I've seen applied many times is to have the pedal at the "3 o'clock" position. If you drop a plum line from your knee, it should be right above the ball of the foot (the foot on the pedal, of course). The idea is that you don't you knee forced beyond the ball of your foot or exerting force behind it, either...

Roadmaster bikes are notoriously heavy, so eventually you may want to go with something else. You can find very nice, complete bikes. You still may want to get a saddle that is comfortable for you, but do not have to build a bike from scratch. You can always replace some components to tweak something or the other --that's when the hobby comes in.

Tires: Many of us have a floor pump at home and are somewhat religious about making sure the tires have the right pressure before each ride (ok, I am not super religious... I just feel the tires before each ride), but, yes, tires lose some air and it is wise to keep them properly inflated to avoid pinch flats.

Happy riding! Biking is a lot of fun.

[Sky King]

not much to add but if you are keeping the Roadmaster perhaps consider changing your tires to something with less rolling resistance. Needing to inflate your tires after 2 or 3 rides is normal.
Saddle, grips, gloves may help but some of that could also be the position you are in on the bike. I concur to keep reading on TE about saddles, etc
You can certainly do some tweaking yourself - ie saddle height, angle, forward or aft (if the rails allow).
Not sure how much wiggle room you have for raising or lowering the handlebars, you may need to raise the bars to see if that helps with the pressure on the hands.

[Melalvai]

Bike fit is in my opinion important only for comfort. Maybe others get more efficiency out of it, but I'm more interested in comfort than speed. I went in to the bike shop after every long ride and we discussed what hurt and what needed changed. I quickly picked up how to raise & lower the saddle, how to move it back & forth on the rails, how to change the angle. My handlebar actually allows some additional angle changes.

My brother paid for an expensive fitting and now he won't let anyone touch his bike lest they change something.

I'd try new tubes, maybe you have a slow leak. Ask your bike shop about your tires. When I started bicycling for transportation, my bike was 13 years old and the rubber on the tires was brittle and it poked holes in the tubes. You might need new tires. (I don't know how old your bike is.)

Is Mr. Right Bike a myth? When I started bicycling for transportation, it was a pretty decent bike but I quickly learned all the things I wanted different. Four years later, I finally bought a new bike that has (almost) everything perfect. Well, I bought the bike, but I swapped out a lot of things, like I wanted a smaller granny gear because I hate to power up hills. My advice is ride the bike you've got so you can figure out what you want.

That said, if it is uncomfortable, you won't want to ride it. But you can probably make your bike comfortable. With a Roadmaster or equivalent bike, I'd go either way depending on your budget. I loved riding the old bike and learning what I needed in a new bike. But if it's too tortuous, a new bike may be in order sooner than later.

I hate the straight handlebar that mountain bikes have. It hurts my wrists and my arms would go numb. There are lots of different types of handlebars, and they are inexpensive, although taking off the old & putting on the new is not trivial. I use a trekking bar, which is a very odd looking thing. My daughter uses one called an albatross bar. Google them to see what they look like.

I'd guess the Roadmaster came with a cheap saddle. You want to switch that out. Unfortunately saddle preference is another topic that is hotly debated and it's very individual so it will be challenging to figure out what you want. Considerations: 1) gel seats aren't as comfortable as they ought to be. The gel compresses into something that's harder than other materials. 2) A narrow saddle may fit you better than a wider one. It depends on your sit bones, not your girth. I have wider sit bones but I'm only slightly padded. (I was going to say slender but that might be overstating it.)

Good luck!

[Swan]

Ah, me. Thank you all so much! I've listened to all you've had to say and found it all very helpful. :')

As per your advice, I'll try tweaking some things (saddle and handles positioning, etc) on my own... and if I still can't get it right, I'll go in for a new saddle and save for a new bike plus a fitting. I assume I can always switch the new saddle over to a new bike later on anyway, right?

In the interim I'll wear some gloves and tough it out... but my bum will surely protest! The saddle feels as if it's trying to, er, force its way up my nether regions and has quite bruised the inside areas. Is there any way to combat this sort of battering whilst saving up? I'm one step away from tying a pillow to my bike seat! I did it as a child, so I've no problem doing it now haha

[SFLiz]

Hi Swan, the Ladies on this forum offer a wealth of wisdom and knowledge so I'm not sure I can add anything valuable. I just want to encourage you to ride; but riding should not be painful. Riding in pain indicates to me that you should examine your riding position. Given your location challenges, a fitting may be too burdensome for you now, but optimally you would get a proper fitting done by experienced professionals to address your pain issues. One cause for saddle soreness is neglecting to engage your core while riding or slouching, another is sitting too forward. Could be other reasons but that's what a pro fitter can examine for you. That being said, I think many of us get saddle sore from time to time, even those with experience and those who work on their core. I do think it's worth looking into a fitting someday if you can find a quality shop to do it. Like pll described, it should take around 3 hours and it usually does cost around $275-ish. But it's at the fitting where you will tell the fitter about your issues and from there, he/she should work on alleviating those problem areas.

Same goes for your hands. Are you leaning forward and ON your hands when you are riding? A fitter would look at your riding position to see if you are leaning forward and show you how to properly position yourself.

As for tweaking elements on your own for now, try youtube. I saw one video that seems like a decent rudimentary self-fit for starters. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrZBj...eature=related), but there are plenty out there.

You should be able to get fitted for a bike that will keep you happy riding for a while as you discover your preferences. Many of us like upgrading elements along the way but it's not necessary at the start, just improvements for our rides as we learn and can afford upgrades.

Cycling is fun, and should be painless unless of course, it's self-inflicted pain from climbing hills

[OakLeaf]

Sounds like your saddle is too narrow for you ... or possibly too wedge-shaped and forcing you onto the narrow nose even if the rear is wide enough.

Have you read the saddle threads? Start here. Unfortunately there's still a lot of trial and error involved in finding the right saddle for you, but knowing what size and general shape you need will narrow your choices quite a bit. See if you can find a shop that will let you test ride various saddles. Sometimes you'll know right away if a saddle is not going to work for you, but knowing whether it's really right typically takes at least one or two long rides.

If you're having trouble with your hands, that's likely to be at least in part a fit issue as well. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than myself can chime in there ... I'm pretty comfortable with fit solutions to leg and knee issues, but upper body fit is still pretty much trial and error to me. Core strength plays a part, but so does handlebar bend, stem length and angle, lever placement, etc., etc., etc..... Definitely wear gloves if you aren't already - gloves are safety equipment more than anything else, ask anyone who's ever taken the skin off their palms - and you can get cushion from gloves as well as from spongier handlebar tape - but just like with your other contact points (saddle and pedals), fit first, then accommodation.

Welcome and enjoy!